Allen West – Weekly Newsletter 2-1-13 – Next Generation TV

We are just a few days from launching new content. Michelle, John and I have enjoyed developing the preview videos to give you a flavor of the content you will be receiving, and we’re excited about its debut.

We hope you will spread the word about this initiative via Facebook,Twitter and word of mouth, and share the Next Generation Data Card. We want to engage you, and we appreciate hearing from you. Your comments are very insightful.

Speaking of our future, we must be concerned about the recent numbers for gross domestic product (GDP) that evidence an economy in peril. In the fourth quarter the U.S. economy grew at the weakest pace in almost two years. The U.S. GDP rose at a 1.1 percent annual rate, down from a 3.1 percent gain the prior three months and the least since the first quarter of 2011.

The economy is contracting, and the response should not be for the Federal Reserve to pump more money into it. Never forget that we are currently printing money to the tune of approximately $85 billion a month in order to stimulate the economy. This monetary policy we refer to as “quantitative easing” further proves our fiscal policy is failing.

Our members of Congress aren’t helping matters with their failure to pass a budget. Why is it critical for us to have a budget? Well, first of all, both the House and Senate are constitutionally mandated to do so. The failure to produce a budget means we operate under a temporary law that keeps spending at the current rate. See, without a budget we do not have a financial blueprint.

What this truly means is that we have a system called a baseline budget. Under this system, the only cuts are to increases, so there really is not a substantial cut to federal spending. We need to move toward a zero-based budgeting system, and we need to produce budgets.

I know there is a lot of talk on Capitol Hill about gun control; however, eventually there must be a serious discussion about spending control.

The ghost of illegal immigration past

This week revived serious talk about another hot topic: illegal immigration. Back in 1986, I was 25 when we went down this path in the Reagan administration and gave amnesty to two to three million people but never strengthened enforcement of immigration laws or border security. Now 27 years later, the ghost of illegal immigration past is rearing its ugly head.

A Senate “Gang of Eight” announced their proposal, where it seemed we had bipartisan concurrence in principle. Of course, the most important premise must be enforcement and border security.

But not 24 hours later, President Obama decided to once again inject himself into the legislative process by flying to Nevada, at a cost of $1.6 million, and offering his plan. The president’s proposal does not seem to focus on the enforcement aspect and pushes for immediacy, not accuracy.

Regardless, the devil is in the details, so we all shall await legislation that will encompass Obama’s plan.

Now for a few words about what will be on most everyone’s minds – and televisions – this weekend: Sunday is the Super Bowl, and for the first time it will pit two brothers against each other as head coaches. I was born and raised in Atlanta, so I’m disappointed that the Falcons fell short in the playoffs.

I believe this will be a good game, hopefully better than the BCS national championship game between Alabama and Notre Dame. Who am I picking? San Francisco has an awesome offense, and their defense certainly stopped my Falcons. And the Baltimore Ravens, what can one say about that incredible game against Denver and their shutting down the Patriots?